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Reyes heating up, puts April slump behind him

Reyes heating up, puts April slump behind him

MIAMI -- He's not quite where he wants to be, but Jose Reyes is certainly getting close to hitting his stride.

A four-hit game on Saturday clearly helped as it raised the Miami shortstop's batting average to .256.

Actually, in the month of May, the All-Star has shown signs of breaking out of an April slump. Reyes entered Sunday hitting .319 with a .407 on-base percentage, plus 10 runs scored.

In April, Reyes floundered at a .220 average with a .293 on-base percentage and six runs scored.

"It's getting close," Reyes said. "I know when I'm at the top of my game, I'm going to help this ballclub to win a lot more ballgames."

Perhaps not by coincidence, the Marlins have been winning in May after going through a rough first month.

"I'm seeing the ball better. I'm swinging at better pitches," Reyes said. "I'm going up there with an idea. The first month of the season, it was rough for me to put it together. I just need to be consistent. I know if I'm able to be consistent on a daily basis, I'm going to be fine."

For Reyes, the early part of the season also has been an adjustment process after spending nine seasons with the Mets. He signed the richest contract in Marlins history -- $106 million for six years.

"I don't think I put pressure on myself because I signed a big contract here and stuff like that," Reyes said. "It's a long season. You're going to go through some struggles. You need to continue to work and good results are going to come. It's a long season. I believe in my talent and I believe in what I can do on the field. I know from the bottom of my heart that I'm going to turn it around."